Bluffton hearts & darts

Hearts ... to the two candidates who are vying to replace Weston Newton on Beaufort County Council.

Mark Lawson, a sales manager for Servpro, and attorney Tabor Vaux will face off Jan. 29 in the Republican Party primary.

Newton left County Council to serve as a statehouse representative after 10 years as chairman.

The district Lawson and Vaux are running for is a redrawn District 9 that covers the heart of Bluffton, from Buck Island Road just south of U.S. 278 to Malphrus Road, as well as the area south of S.C. 46 all the way to Daufuskie Island.

So far the only scheduled public event is a Jan. 17 meeting of the Beaufort County Republican Party.

No Democrats filed to run for the seat.

Residents can run as a petition candidate by filing valid signatures from 5 percent of district voters with the Beaufort County Board of Elections by noon on Jan. 18. The special election to fill the last two years of Newton’s term will be held March 19.

DREARY DAYS MAKE US SAD

Darts ... to the cold and rainy weather we had last week. Those kind of days don’t do much for the holiday spirit besides make us want to stay inside and read a good book. There were a couple of days last week where it nearly looked and felt like it could snow. But instead we got rain and more rain.

Those with seasonal affective disorder take these dreary days even harder. It makes folks blue.

We like sunny days. We can handle a little colder weather as long as the sun is shining and there are not wet roads and downpours.

NO PAIN AT THE PUMP IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Hearts ... gasoline prices down in South Carolina and Bluffton. Prices at the pump have risen elsewhere, but not here, thankfully. Everyone can use a little extra holiday cash and when thinking about traveling for the Christmas holiday you need to consider filling up the car for the trip.

At last check, regular unleaded gas was $3.02 per gallon at one Bluffton station.

If you cross the bridge and go to Savannah, expect to pay signficantly higher prices.

Gasoline prices are just one local economic indicator and when they go down people start feeling a bit more confident about spending.

CONN. SCHOOL SHOOTING TRAGEDY

Darts ... to the last school tragedy. On Friday, 26 people were killed, including 18 children, when a gunman opened fire in a Connecticut elementary school, a law enforcement official said.

The gunman, who is dead, was a 20-year-old from Connecticut, an official said. He was wearing all black and was carrying two 9mm handguns.

The incident sent crying children spilling into the school parking lot as frightened parents waited for word on their loved ones.

“I was in the gym and I heard a loud, like seven loud booms, and the gym teachers told us to go in the corner, so we all huddled,” one student at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown told NBC Connecticut during its live broadcast. “And I kept hearing these booming noises. And we all … started crying.

Our hearts and prayers go out to all the families, friends and those affected.

UNITED WAY HITS 70 PERCENT

Hearts ... to the United Way campaign that so far has collected about 70 percent of its goal of $2.8 million.

Gifts and pledges have been received totaling $1,970,219.

The United Way of the Lowcountry is focusing on the building blocks for a good quality of life: Basic needs, education, health and income. Specifically, the first focus is on education and by 2022 the agency hopes to have reduced the dropout rate in Beaufort and Jasper County schools by 50 percent. Elementary school students are the first target and the United Way has committed to ensure that 80 percent of Beaufort and Jasper students are reading on grade level when they enter the fourth grade.